The 501st Legion (hereafter referred to as “the Legion”, “the 501st“, and “Vader’s Fist”) is a Star Wars fan club dedicated to celebrating the Star Wars universe through costuming; specifically the costumes and characters of the Stormtrooper and other Imperial forces, as well as non-affiliated villains and denizens. The Legion is an all-volunteer organization formed for the express purpose of bringing together costume enthusiasts under a collective identity within which to operate. The Legion seeks to promote interest in Star Wars through the building and wearing of quality costumes, and to facilitate the use of these costumes for Star Wars-related events as well as contributions to the local community through costumed charity and volunteer work.

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The 501st Legion is an all-volunteer costume organization focused on professional costuming, spreading the love of Star Wars to fans around the globe, and to charity work on local, national, and world-wide levels.

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The Legion recognizes it holds no claim over the costumes and characters it portrays, and that their use is a privilege extended by ''Lucasfilm Ltd. (LFL)''. The members of the Legion acknowledge and accept that while in costume, we represent the Star Wars brand and will do so professionally and responsibly at all times.

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The 501st Legion cannot make a guarantee of our ability to provide specific characters, or numbers of personnel for any given event.

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All 501st Legion members make use of Lucasfilm LTD copyrights and trademarks with permission from Lucasfilm LTD and hold no ownership of these intellectual properties and cannot grant any rights to the same properties.

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All 501st Legion members will comport themselves with the highest standard of professional behavior.

The Event Sponsor (hereafter referred to as “the Sponsor”) is the event coordinator, venue, or other entity, organization, company, or individual requesting an appearance by members of the Legion.

The Event Sponsor (hereafter referred to as “the Sponsor”) is the event coordinator, venue, or other entity, organization, company, or individual requesting an appearance by members of the Legion.

501st Legion Performance and Hospitality Rider Charity Events

The 501st Legion is an all-volunteer costume organization focused on professional costuming, spreading the love of Star Wars to fans around the globe, and to charity work on local, national, and world-wide levels.

The 501st Legion cannot make a guarantee of our ability to provide specific characters, or numbers of personnel for any given event.

All 501st Legion members make use of Lucasfilm LTD copyrights and trademarks with permission from Lucasfilm LTD and hold no ownership of these intellectual properties and cannot grant any rights to the same properties.

All 501st Legion members will comport themselves with the highest standard of professional behavior.

The Event Sponsor (hereafter referred to as “the Sponsor”) is the event coordinator, venue, or other entity, organization, company, or individual requesting an appearance by members of the Legion.

The Sponsor understands and acknowledges that the Legion is an entirely all-volunteer organization and as such makes no guarantee of their ability to provide specific character types or character quantities.

Depending on various conditions such as health or environment, 20 to 30 minutes is the maximum recommended time a trooper or any other helmeted or masked character should go without a break. While it is possible for a helmeted or masked character to go longer than this period of time, provisions should be made in scheduling to allow characters to take breaks during an appearance longer than 30 minutes. Breaks normally consist of the masked character being able to go somewhere out of sight in order to remove their helmet/mask, drink water or take a quick breather. Open-faced costumes such as Imperial Officers, Death Star Troopers and technicians may be available for longer periods. For longer events, a 2 hour shift (with breaks interspersed every 30 minutes) is the maximum a fully enclosed character can be expected to handle without a substantial break.

Charity Event Definition

A charity event is any event sponsored by a reputable charity for the purposes of raising awareness or fundraising. Examples include Toys-For-Tots store appearances in conjunction with the United States Marine Corps, blood drives, charity fairs, walks and runs, school fairs, and scouting events.

It should be noted that the Legion does not participate in political or protest events.

Character Compensation

The Legion and its members do not accept appearance fees for charity-sponsored events.

Travel and Expenses:

The Sponsor may be asked to compensate participating members for travel and expenses including but not limited to fuel, meals, and lodging. The Sponsor may elect to provide travel, lodging, and meals directly if they so choose.

Note: Traveling with armor creates many challenges. Additional baggage fees or insured express shipping may be required to deliver costumes to and from the event location if the member is traveling by air.

Minimum Requirements:

501st Legion members are volunteers with real-life responsibilities including jobs and families. Radical changes in call times, daytime rehearsals, etc., all put extra stress on Legion members.
The limitations of our costumes require the following:

A minimum of two weeks lead time for planning. 30 days is preferred.

Both the Sponsor and the local Garrison will provide a specific contact person for relating all information back and forth.

Frequent breaks in a climate-controlled (if possible) area every 30 minutes to 2 hours (depending on the character(s) present).

Access to water.

Access to restrooms.

Access to a changing area that is secure or lockable, clean, well-lit, private, furnished with tables and/or chairs/stools. (e.g. a break room or conference room). A bathroom or storage closet is not acceptable.

Free or compensated parking that is close to the venue (less than 5 minutes walking distance).

A safe environment that is well-maintained and well-lit for our members to be featured or to interact with the public.

Allowances for handlers from within our own group to be present for the safety of our members.

Security is to be handled by the Sponsor, not the Legion members.

We are unable to perform complicated skits, battles, or extensive choreography. Therefore, appearances should be planned with this restriction in mind.

Legion Support Personnel

Many of the costumes owned by the Legion members have limited visibility and freedom of movement. As such, it is common for the Legion to bring support personnel or handlers to events. The handlers assist the costumed characters in dressing prior to the event and act as extra eyes and ears for the costumed characters. Our handlers are typically Legion members, family members, or potential new members who are working on attaining membership in the Legion.

Handlers may be costumed characters without helmets such as Imperial Officers or Imperial Crew. Handlers may also be dressed casually, or in a Legion or Garrison shirt. Please advise the Legion's contact person assigned to your event of the level of formality of your event so that Legion handlers may dress appropriately.

While handlers are there for the safety and security of the costumed characters, the Sponsor is ultimately responsible for the security of the event including patron interaction.

Venue Relations:

The Sponsor is responsible for notifying and coordinating the event with local venue management, ownership, and security.

Note in some commercial, common-use, and civil properties (e.g. shopping malls), the venues or local jurisdictions forbid the wearing of masks or carrying replica weapons in public. The appearance of costumed characters and the policy of the venue or local jurisdiction regarding masks or replica weapons must be clarified and cleared by the sponsor not less than one week prior to the event.

The Sponsor agrees to allow full access to the performance venue and pre-performance facilities to the Legion members acting as costumed characters or handlers a minimum of one hour prior to the event. This requirement may be adjusted depending on the scope and scale of the event and as agreed upon by the Sponsor and the local Legion event coordinator.

Autographs and Photographs:

Autographs are often requested of the Legion members. It is the typical of the Legion to grant these requests. Members typically sign in a manner consistent with the character being portrayed. For example, "TK-1234 Stormtrooper" or "Darth Vader – SL-0000." The Legion does not require the purchase of an item or a donation to sign an autograph. The Sponsor agrees not to require purchases or donations in order to receive an autograph or take a photograph with a costumed character.

Required Amenities:

A secure or lockable changing facility

Access to restroom facilities

Bottled water

Requested amenities:

Clear, clean tables

Chairs or stools

Meals and snacks if the event is scheduled to run more than four hours.

In general, a good rule of thumb would be one 2’ x 6’ or 2’ x 8’ table with chairs for every 3 to 4 characters. Due to restricted mobility, most armored characters cannot sit down in their costumes. High stools such as bar stools are excellent seats for Stormtroopers if they are available.